NYC's First Underwater Subway Tunnel Turns 111 Years Old

There is a very good article in Gothamist magazine, an online magazine.

http://gothamist.com/2019/01/09/joralemon_street_tunnel_subway.php

Here's a partial quote:

Today, New York City’s oldest underwater subway tunnel celebrates its 111th anniversary of carrying commuters between the boroughs.

The Joralemon Street Tube was first put to the test during the early morning rush on January 9th, 1908. The new subway route connected Bowling Green in lower Manhattan to Brooklyn Borough Hall — a 5-minute trip that cost 5 cents. But most crucially, it helped relieve a major commuting sore spot. Up until the tunnel opened, inter-borough commuters had to rely on a short shuttle train that ran across the Brooklyn Bridge. The back-and-forth shuttle was so crowded during rush hours, it earned the nickname “the Bridge crush.”

One day into the new era of commuting options, the New York Times declared the subway tunnel the quicker of the two routes after sending two reporters on a race from its Times Square office to Brooklyn and back. Another Times writer predicted: “[The new tunnel] means that dinner can be served on time, which is a condition not existing in Brooklyn now—if the wage earner is compelled to use the bridges during the rush hours.”